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Understanding Orthopedic Treatments

Hey everyone, my name is Belinda. When I was a young girl, I injured the muscles in my legs performing complex gymnastic moves. I was under the care of an orthopedist for several months during the recovery period. I had to complete a number of strengthening exercises to regain my range of motion and mobility. The orthopedist performed regular examinations to determine if the given treatment was working. I will use this site to talk about different orthopedic treatments. I hope you will visit my site often to learn about this fascinating subject.

Understanding Orthopedic Treatments

FAQs About Hip Joint Replacement

by Stanley Pierce

Your hip joints enable hip movement and also bear most of the weight when sitting or standing. Thus, having healthy hip joints is essential. However, you may experience hip joint problems due to disease or injury after an accident. In severe cases of hip joint malfunction, you may require joint replacement surgery. Before undergoing the operation, you should have as much information about the surgery as possible. Here are a few FAQs to enlighten you regarding hip joint replacement treatment.

What Conditions Can Lead to Hip Joint Replacement Surgery?

Your doctor will probably recommend hip joint replacement surgery if the cartilage between the pelvis and femur gets damaged. That's an expected result if you have diseases that wear down the cartilage resulting in severe joint ache and sometimes immobility, such as:

  • Osteonecrosis. The condition interferes with blood supply to the hip joint, leading to bone death.

  • Arthritis. The disease leads to deterioration of the bone cartilage 

  • Traumatic injuries. Include fractures or injuries that may severely damage the hip joint.

  • Bone cancer. Causes tumor growth that invades the hip joint.

These conditions warrant hip joint replacement. However, you can get a doctor's opinion if you're experiencing severe joint pain, joint inflammation, and loss of hip joint function.

When Is Joint Replacement Treatment Necessary?

Ideally, doctors don't usually recommend hip joint replacement surgery unless the situation is dire. Initially, doctors will offer other alternative non-invasive treatments such as physical therapy, bracing, injections, and medication to reduce swelling and pain. If you're suffering from bone necrosis, your doctor may perform core decompression, a process that entails drilling your joint to create holes to relieve pressure. If these alternative treatments don't treat your condition, your doctor may then recommend hip joint replacement treatment.

What Does the Hip Joint Replacement Procedure Entail?

Like other major surgeries, your surgeon will administer anesthesia. Then the orthopedic doctor will make an incision on your hip to access the problematic hip joint area. After that, the surgeon removes the damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial one. Lastly, the incision site gets stitched up.

Is Hip Joint Replacement Surgery Risky?

Hip joint replacement treatment has risks, and your doctor needs to explain them to you. That way you can decide whether to undergo surgery or not. For instance, there's the risk of post-surgery infection and excessive bleeding. Additionally, the surgery may be risky if you have existing medical conditions.

With these FAQs, you now understand more about hip joint replacement treatment.

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